A hybrid solution approach is proposed to solve the radiation transfer equation (RTE) in combusting environment using the weighted sum of gray gases model for modeling the absorption coefficient. The hybrid approach uses a selective combination of the finite-volume method (FVM) and P1 approximation to solve the RTE for different gray gases. A comprehensive study with a wide range of test cases with homogenous and nonhomogenous media is carried out to study the accuracy, speed, and convergence rate of the hybrid solution approach. The differences between hybrid and FVM results are described, and the sources of errors are discussed. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.